By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu
The Justice Development and Peace Caritas, JDPC, Awka Diocese, has stressed the need for quality and people oriented legislative representation.
Addressing newsmen in Awka, the Executive Director, JDPC, Awka Diocese, Rev F, Levi Ukor called for a rethink over what he called poor Legislative representation in Anambra State.
The Presss briefing, according to Fr Ukor, was in line with the mandate of their community development project tagged Community Legislative Interactive Platform-CLIP which, he said was funded by Catholic Agency for Oversea Development CAFOD and supported by Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria CCFN.
'Over the past four years, JDPC Awka has been at the fore front of promoting effective relationship between the legislators and the community members in order to ensure quality representation and impactful policies that will deepen good governance among the citizens.
'As a result of this, we have carried out series of town hall meetings, advocacies and interventions to ensure that the legislators pay proper attention to their constituencies and address their needs in line with the many promises they made to them during the campaigns of 2019 elections.
'Campaigns are here again and as usual the politicians will come again with theyr promises. In the spirit of the CLIP project that focuses on the legislators, I implore you to see this season as another opportunity to take another look at the qualities of the candidates parading themselves to represent your Constituency in the next dispensation.
'For those who were there before, going for another term, it is time to develop the courage to ask them of their score cards, have they fulfilled their promises, have they moved motions that have transformed your life and made things easy for your communities , these and other questions you should have at the back of your minds as you make your choice.
'As for those who are running for the first time, can you trust them with your votes, what are their track records. How do you perceive them, what are their sources of livelihood and many more,' he queried
The Executive Director said that recently JDPC Awka CLIP team gave out 12 suggestion boxes and banners to be positioned in various public places in communities, noting that it was to ensure that the community members take advantage of the boxes to express their thoughts about quality representation by their legislators.
'This time you can approach your candidates with those demands that can bring development to your communities face to face.
'Furthermore, as part of the mandate of the CLIP project, JDPC Awka CLIP team conducted a sample poll to find out how many of the legislators have Constituency offices, we can proudly say that as at 2019, out of 12 of them just about 3 had Constituency offices, but with the intensified efforts of the CLIP project team the other 12 now have, making it 12 over 12. But also note that presently Awka Diocese has 9 constituencies with the creation of Ekwulobia Diocese from Awka Diocese.
In view of this achievement, it is your responsibility to make sure you follow up with your legislators not to convert these Constituency offices into campaign Offices. We thank God for the amendment of the electoral act and the introduction of BVAS, a machine that has been created to produce a free , fair credible election.
'This is not the time for engaging in vote buying and snatching of ballot papers, it is a time for you to make good use of your conscience, participate fully in the electoral process and wait for the votes to be counted.
'Furthermore, as the campaigns begins , look out for the manifestoes and work plans of the candidates and ensure you scrutinize them critically to know how sincere they are . Don't just focus on the monetary benefits of the campaign but be wise.
Fr Ukor thanked the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor for his unflinching support through out this CLIP project and also appreciated all the JDPC members and volunteers and to remind them that they had a very important role to play in the forthcoming election, noting that JDPC in Nigeria has a mandate to observe the elections and that they would continue to help the people develop capacity in that regard..